Faven
An Amharic feminine name meaning "revelation" or "glory".
Name Census estimates that about 77 living Americans carry the first name Faven. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Faven today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Faven births was 2010 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Faven. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Faven. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
77
~ 1 in 4,451,355 Americans
Peak year
2010
9 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2022 SSA rank
#10,635
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Faven: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Faven from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 47 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Faven by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Faven during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Faven
The name Faven has its origins in the Amharic language, which is spoken primarily in Ethiopia. The Amharic word "faven" means "lightning" or "brilliant light." It is believed that the name dates back to ancient times, possibly as early as the 4th century AD, when the Aksumite Empire ruled over parts of modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Faven can be found in the Kebra Nagast, a 14th-century literary work that is considered a significant part of the Ethiopian national epic. In this text, Faven is mentioned as the name of a character who plays a pivotal role in the story.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Faven. One of the most famous was Faven Gebre Mesqel, an Ethiopian nobleman and military leader who lived during the late 18th century. He played a crucial role in the struggles between the various noble factions vying for power during that era.
Another prominent figure was Faven Tsehay, an Ethiopian artist and painter who lived from 1901 to 1975. She is celebrated for her contributions to the development of modern Ethiopian art and her efforts to preserve traditional cultural expressions through her works.
In the realm of literature, Faven Mezlekia is a renowned Ethiopian-Canadian author and poet. Born in 1958, he has written several acclaimed books, including the memoir "Notes from the Hyena's Belly," which explores his experiences growing up in Ethiopia during the tumultuous years of the Derg regime.
The name Faven has also been carried by individuals in the religious sphere. Faven Mekuria was an Ethiopian nun who lived during the 19th century and was known for her piety and devotion to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Another noteworthy figure was Faven Abebe, an Ethiopian educator and activist who dedicated her life to promoting women's rights and education in her country. She founded several schools and organizations aimed at empowering women and girls, and her work had a significant impact on the advancement of gender equality in Ethiopia.
While the name Faven has deep roots in the Amharic language and Ethiopian culture, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly among communities with connections to the Horn of Africa region. Its meaning, evoking brilliance and light, has made it a compelling choice for parents seeking a name with a powerful and uplifting connotation.
People
Faven + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Faven as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Faven: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Faven?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 77 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Faven going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 4,451,355 US residents.
Is Faven a common name?
We classify Faven as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 78 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Faven most popular?
The single biggest year for Faven was 2010, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Faven is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Faven in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Faven a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Faven in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Faven still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Faven in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Faven can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Faven as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.